Overview
Podcast directories don't host your audio — they subscribe to your RSS feed and pull episodes automatically. You only submit once per directory. After that, every new episode you publish appears in the directory within minutes.
What You Need
- At least one published episode on your podcast host
- Your RSS feed URL (from your podcast hosting dashboard)
- Artwork: 3000×3000px JPG, RGB colour space, under 512KB
- An Apple ID and a free Spotify account
Steps
Prepare your RSS feed
Log into your podcast host (Buzzsprout, Captivate, Transistor, etc.) and copy your RSS feed URL. Validate it first using our RSS Feed Validator — check that it has the required iTunes tags: <itunes:author>, <itunes:image>, <itunes:category>, and <itunes:explicit>. Submission will fail if these are missing.
Submit to Spotify for Podcasters
Go to podcasters.spotify.com → Get Started → Already have an RSS feed? → paste your RSS URL → follow the claim process. Spotify sends a verification code to the email address in your RSS feed, so make sure that address is one you can access. Approval usually takes under an hour.
Submit to Apple Podcasts Connect
Go to podcastsconnect.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Click the + button → New Show → Add a show with an RSS feed → paste your RSS URL. Apple validates the feed automatically and submits it for review. Approval typically takes 24–72 hours. You'll receive an email when it's live.
Submit to Amazon Music and Audible
Go to music.amazon.com/podcasters and create a free account. Click Submit your podcast and enter your RSS feed URL. Amazon typically approves within 48 hours. This submission covers both Amazon Music and Audible — a combined audience of over 100 million users.
Wait for approval and monitor
You don't need to do anything further. Once approved, your podcast host will push new episodes to all directories automatically when you publish. Check each directory 48 hours after your first submission to confirm it appears correctly. If Apple rejects your submission, the rejection email will contain the specific tag that needs fixing.
Pro Tips
- Also submit to Pocket Casts (pocketcasts.com/submit), iHeart Radio, and Overcast for maximum distribution coverage.
- Never change your RSS feed URL after submission — doing so breaks all existing directory subscriptions simultaneously.
- Apple Podcasts Connect shows you listener data including plays, follows, and average consumption percentage per episode.